Meet Our Staff
Lead Pastor
Zeke Nelson
An unexpected encounter with God at the age of 15 changed the course of my life. God's clear guidance led me to study at Whitworth University on the other side of the state of Washington (in the USA), where I grew up.
My wife and I met at university and were married in 2000. We spent a few months in Mexico and a year in Honduras with the Latin America Mission, then I studied at Fuller Theological Seminary in the Los Angeles area. We then spent over ten years doing ministry in California's neglected Central Valley. In 2017 we moved to Antwerp to lead and serve this wonderful church.
Shortly before moving here our second of four children died from cancer. The pain we have experienced is beyond words, but we also experienced the goodness and love of God, which are also beyond words. I have tried to put the experience into words at
www.explorationandcontemplation.com.
I enjoy the variety of work I get as a pastor: study, prayer, preaching, teaching, leadership, and lots of time with people. My sport is ultimate frisbee. Our family enjoys exploring the Antwerp area by bicycle. I love to hike, especially in the mountains.
Assistant Pastor
Jan Witsel
In my teenage years, I got involved in evangelism and ministry to refugees. Soon I felt the desire to fully serve in God's kingdom and started studying theology. Antwerp International Protestant Church is not only the place where I first did my internship but also has become a home to me and my family.
I have been involved with AIPC since 2014 and served earlier as an intern and trainee. As the Assistant Pastor now, I mainly focus on Refugee Ministry, Youth, and Young Adults. I preach from time to time and I am involved in several other areas of ministry. I love the great diversity at our church and believe it helps us to be more Christ-focused.
Together with my wife Zinash and our two children, I enjoy living in Antwerp. I love going to the seaside and often cross the Dutch border to visit my hometown, see my family, and eat kebabs at my favorite place. I'm interested in anything to do with migration, and now and then pick up my good old habit of listening to reggae music and making graffiti drawings.
Besides my involvement with the church, I am still working on my master's in Bible and Theology at Evangelical Theological Faculty Leuven, BE.